President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that the government will invest 53.4 billion won (US$39.9 million) over the next five years to establish an autonomous driving industrial complex in the southern city of Gwangju.

Yoon made the remark during a public discussion session in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

“The government will foster Gwangju as the center of the autonomous driving mobility industry ecosystem,” Yoon said.

Yoon also promised to construct a 47-kilometer expressway connecting Gwangju and Yeongam to make it a test bed for autonomous vehicles utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology and reaffirmed the commitment to opening a specialized AI high school in the city by 2027.

Source: Yonhap News Agency